Hand carrier for stacked articles



R. CUELLAR FERRER 3,378,183

HAND CARRIER FOR STACKED ARTICLES April 16, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1967 FIG. I

FIG. 2

INVENTOR RICARDO CUELLAR FERRER ATTORNEYS April 16, 1968 R. CUELLAR FERRER HAND CARRIER FOR STACKED ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 16, 1967 FIG. 5

INVENTOR RlCARDO CUELLAR FERRER ATTORNEYi United States Patent 3,378,183 HAND CARRIER FOR STA'CKED ARTICLES Ricardo Cuellar Ferrer, Av. Coyoacan 703-202, Mexico City, Mexico Filed Jan. 16, 1967, Ser. No. 609,584 Claims priority, application Mexico, Mar. 25, 1966,

87,891 4 Claims. (Cl. 224-45) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A carrying appliance for film cases, including a rod on which the cases are adjustably clamped. Modifications include a rod of variant length; carrying handles; and a lock inserted through the rod.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the invention.--This invention pertains to carrying appliances generally, and more specifically, to carriers for packaged rolls of motion picture film, and the like.

(2) Description of the prior art.-In the motion picture film industry it is customary that separate rolls or reels of film are stored and transported in similar packages of annular form. The similarities of these packages create problems as to maintaining the reels in correct sequential order, and the indiscriminate transport and arrangement thereof also leads to loss and damage to the reels.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention pertains to carrying devices for items such as film containers and has as its basic objective the maintenance of the items in secure, stacked relation in a preselected sequential order.

A basic objective of the present invention resides in the provision of carrying means for stacked articles, such as film cases, serving to relate several of the items to one another in selected manner and to prevent damage to the items.

Another objective is to facilitate handling of film cases by means serving to maintain the cases in a selected relation.

This invention provides a means for the convenient handling, storage and transport of similarly packaged reels of film, the means including apparatus engaged with the reel packages.

In a modification of the invention, a significant objective concerns the provision of carrying and storage means of adjustable lengths, thereby adapting the apparatus for use where the number of reels varies.

Still another objective is to provide a carrying device as aforesaid provided with locking means to protect the reels from unauthorized tampering.

Additional objects and advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following specifications and drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a group of roll containers held together by a carrier constructed and assembled in accordance with the teachings of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, foreshortened sectional view, taken substantially on the section line 22 of FIG- URE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 of an upper portion of the assembly showing a modification;

3,378,183 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a further modification;

FIGURE 5 is another side elevational view at a right angular plane with respect to that of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of FIGURE 5, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Proceeding to a more exact description of the invention and initially to FIGURES 1 and 2, items of the type handled by the instant invention are shown and identified by reference numeral 10. The items 10 comprise cases of disc-like form when assembled, each including a cup portion 12 with a circular intermediate indentation 14 therein, and a frictionally engaged top 16 having a circular, projecting rim 18. The top 16 and cup 12 have interfitting, central stems 2G and 22, respectively, collectively defining a central opening 24. The cases 10 are adapted to store motion picture film, or the like. The films, not shown, are placed in the containers, with one reel in each container, and with the containers arranged in a desired sequence, and the cases are then arranged in a stack, which, as shown in the drawing, includes stack upper and lower ends 26, 28, with the openings 24 collectively forming a vertical bore 30. It will be observed that the rims 18 interfit with the indentations 14 whereby the stack is readily arranged in a manner that the central bore is in correct alignment.

The invention apparatus 32 comprises an elongated, substantially cylindrical rod element 3 4 formed of metal such as aluminum, or some other similar rigid material. The rod 34 is of a diameter such that it is slidably engageable in the bore 30, and the rod has an upper end portion 36 with associated lock means for the cases. Opposite the end portion36, the rod has a bottom portion 38 to which is fixed an enlarged base element 40 of a dimension whereby it engages the lower end 28 of the stack when the rod is inserted through the bore 30 thereof.

Lock means 42 is slidably engaged with the upper end portion 36. In the first form of the invention, the means 42 comprises a hollow sleeve 44 with a surrounding, enlarged lock flange 46 engageable with the end portion 36.

The upper end of the sleeve 44 has a carrying ring 50 fixed thereto. In FIGURE 2, it will be noted that the sleeve 44 and the end portion 36 of the rod have alignable holes 52 therein at the correct depth for automatic alignment upon placement of the sleeve on the rod. Where desirable, lock means in the form of a padlock 54 may be extended through said holes to prevent any unauthorized removal of the cases 10 from the rod assembly.

FIGURE 3 shows a modification. of the assembly wherein similar elements to those heretofore described are designated by the same reference numeral with a letter a appended. This form of the invention is characterized by a cover plate with a peripheral flange 102 thereabout. The plate 100 has a central opening 104 therein engaged about the end 36a, and the plate overlies the top 26a of the stack. The plate carries a handle 50a of inverted U-shape. An internally threaded nut 46a is threadedly engaged with threads 106 on the end 36a of the rod to clamp the plate in place. This threaded en gagernent of the holding means at the end of the rod permits some variance in the height of the stack, and permits a tight clamping engagement of the plate 100 against the top 26a of the stack.

Referring to FIGURES 4 through 6, a further modified form of rod element 34b is shown. The element 34!; comprises a first pair of segment members 200, 202,

each of which has an apex section 204. The members 200 and 292 are each secured, as by welds 206 to the base 40b, and by an upper rivet 208. The members are mounted in such manner as to place the apex sections in spaced apart, adjacent relation to one another whereby a slot 210 therebetween is defined.

A second pair of segment members 212, 214 has apex sections 216 connected in spaced apart adjacent relation and define a second slot 218, the connection being by means of a lower rivet 220 and an upper rivet 222. The substantially cylindrical form of the upper end 3612 of the assembled rod is provided by segment blocks 224 fixed to the members 212 and 214.

The member 202 has a series of openings 226 formed therein in a vertical line, and the member 212 has an opening 228 therein which is laterally alignable with any of the openings 226 upon vertical sliding movement of the second apex members with respect to the first apex members. In such aligned relation, a U-shaped pronged fastener 230 having legs 232, is engageable in the aligned openings by insertion of the legs 232 therein to fix the relative relation of the apex members to each other. It will be observed that the rivets 220 and 208 slide in the slots 210 and 21 8 thereby furnishing a secure sliding engagement between the apex members.

The rod 34b may be supplied with any desired and suitable type of upper end fastening means, such as those heretofore described with respect to the first forms of the invention.

Having described and illustrated three embodiments of the invention in some detail, it will be understood that these descriptions and illustrations have been offered only by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited in scope only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. The combination, with a plurality of disc-like, sequentially interengaged items arranged in a stack, with stack upper and lower ends, the items having openings therein which collectively form a bore in the stack, of a carrying and locking appliance comprising:

an elongated rod element of substantially cylindrical form and of a diameter to be sliclably engaged in said vertical bore;

the rod element having an upper end portion and a bottom portion and being positioned in said bore v 4 with the end portions extended outwardly from the respective upper and lower ends of the stack;

an enlarged base element secured to the bottom portion of the rod element and of a dimension such that it engages the lower end of the stack; and

lock means engaged with the upper end portion of the rod element and engaged with the stack upper end,

the rod element comprising a pair of first segment members including apex sections;

means securing the first segment members together with their respective apex sections in spaced apart, adjacent relation;

a pair of second segment members, each including an apex section;

the second segment members being interconnected in adjacent spaced relation by a first rivet means,

said first rivet means being slida-bly disposed between the apex sections of the first segment members;

second rivet means connecting the first segment members; and

segment locks secured to the first segment members adjacent the second rivet means to limit the sliding movement of the second segment members with respect to the first segment members.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

the upper end has a carry handle associated therewith.

3'. The invention of claim 1, wherein:

at least one of the first segment members and at least one of the second segment members have openings therein laterally alignable in pairs; and

pronged fasteners engageable in said pairs of openings.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein:

the items comprise film containers of annular form arranged in selected sequence.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,814,740 7/1931 Rapp. 1,940,091 12/1933 Kapp. 2,338,930 1/1944 Gordon 224-45 3,224,655 12/ 1965 Buchanan et al.

GERALD M. FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

R. BALLANTYNE, Assistant Examiner. 

